US regulator closes defect petition covering over 2 million Tesla vehicles

Source: Reuters

US regulator closes defect petition covering over 2 million Tesla vehicles

By Reuters
March 20, 2026 5:57 AM EDT Updated 2 hours ago

Summary

* NHTSA finds no defect in Tesla's pedal misapplication claims
* Tesla's regenerative braking common in electric vehicles, NHTSA says
* Petition sought recall of Tesla vehicles produced since 2013

March 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. auto safety regulator on Friday rejected a petition seeking a ‌sweeping recall of about 2.26 million Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab vehicles, saying it had found no evidence of a safety-related defect.

The decision removes the immediate risk of a large-scale recall for Tesla, but regulatory overhang remains as ​authorities continue to scrutinize its Full Self-Driving driver-assistance system.

A petition in March 2023 ​alleged Tesla vehicles could increase the risk of pedal misapplication, potentially leading ⁠to unintended acceleration due to differences in controls such as one-pedal driving. ... NHTSA said it ​found no evidence of a defect or safety risk, citing very few relevant incidents and ​data showing vehicles responded as intended.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-auto-safety-regulator-closes-defect-petition-over-2-million-tesla-vehicles-2026-03-20/